"Who are you?" asked the commander, as she did not recognize the employee.
The young man, trying not to show his anxiety, took a step forward.
"My name is Nicolas. I'm from the intelligence sector and I'm the one who called about the report."
He seemed a bit nervous, holding a folder of documents firmly. Nicolas was a recent hire in the intelligence department, a newcomer like Cole Fuller.
She pointed to the chair next to him and said, "Please, sit down and tell me in detail," taking her seat at the head of the room and crossing her legs formally.
Nicolas sat down, placing the folder on the table. "Why am I so nervous?" he thought as he tried not to look directly at the commander.
He opened the folder and began to speak as he organized the papers. "I was reviewing the latest military reports from the Midwest states when I found this one. It had an urgent marking in the upper right corner," he explained, adjusting his square glasses with a slight tremor in his hands.
Ava leaned forward slightly, and the young man continued to recount while spreading the informational documents across the table. "The report came from a military brigade in its final days of resistance in Cuiabá. They mention that the city is under a regime adverse to the national government, led by a group of dangerous operatives called Conclave."
Ava frowned, showing concern. She picked up one of the papers Nicolas had laid out and began to read it quickly. "Continue," she encouraged, without taking her eyes off the report.
"The Conclave has blocked all access routes and communication means. The population is isolated both media-wise and logistically. They are facing resource shortages and a significant increase in violence. The military brigade has suffered heavy losses and their defense is extremely compromised."
Ava looked at him, recognizing the gravity of the situation. "I understand. Any demands made by them?" she asked, placing the report back on the table.
"The report ends with an urgent request for Special Forces deployment. They say the Conclave continues to expand."
"Conclave... Why did this case never reach me?" She then stood up and ordered, "Please, take the printed report and hold it in the sunlight for a few seconds."
Nicolas didn't understand at first but walked over to the sunbeam coming through the large window and held the paper in the light.
"You think they hid something, right?" Nicolas was confused, scratching his head as he asked.
"I wouldn't say 'hidden,' but rather camouflaged," Ava explained as she approached the paper. "The military brigade often camouflages information in urgent reports. They're genuinely afraid of having everything they know taken from them. Sunlight helps reveal it."
"Wow."
The sunlight indeed revealed hidden information in the report that read, "We've been fighting for 10 days and are going to die. We believe this will reach those it should, but do not trust the superiors, even if the reader is one. He left us here to die. The Lord must not know this; he orchestrated all of it."
"Lord? Is he making a metaphor about God?" Nicolas genuinely didn't understand.
"Lord is a professional nickname for the head of this agency."
"It's Rod Sugg, isn't it?"
"Exactly." Quickly, Ava walked to the door, and Nicolas asked, "Where are you going?"
Opening the door, she replied, "I have a quick test scheduled and then I'll deal with Rod. Leave the papers on the table and go to the gym at the Tower Agents Training Center. Another new recruit like you will be waiting, and he knows what you both need to do."
"Okay," Nicolas responded, still confused but reacting as if he'd heard such things before.
She ran through the corridors on the top floor, entered the elevator, and descended to the ground floor. She walked for a few more minutes, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a white handkerchief. Finally, she arrived at the Free Space of the Tower Agents Training Center.
The area was vast, with impeccably cut green grass and white markings delineating a rectangular area. It was a tranquil part of the Training Center, used more for relaxation or less intense technical exercises.
Blocking the intense sun with his hand, Koji frowned in discomfort. He looked at Ava with a curious and slightly skeptical expression.
"What are we doing here?" he asked.
Next to him, Saik fidgeted, adjusting the tight-fitting clothes they were both wearing. He sighed, visibly uncomfortable. "Do we really have to wear these things?" he complained, pulling at the collar of the outfit. "Seriously, this suit is so tight it makes it hard to breathe, and I have breathing issues."
Koji and Saik wore very tight suits, similar to those of gymnasts, but even tighter.
"You are here for a physical combat test between the two of you."
The suits they wore were tight, similar to those used by gymnasts, but even more constricting, designed for flexibility and movement control.
Standing in front of them, Ava smiled slightly, observing their reluctance. "We're here for a physical combat test," she said, crossing her arms.
Koji and Saik exchanged glances, initially surprised and then slightly amused. The idea seemed unusual to them. Koji made a comical face, raising an eyebrow. "Physical combat?" he asked with a laugh. "But you know, if it were with you, it wouldn't be fair."
"Exactly," she said, walking slowly around the perimeter of the rectangle. "A punch from me wouldn't do anything to you. The opposite could kill me. So, you'll fight each other."
Saik looked even more confused. "Who's going to train us then? Another operative?" he asked, tilting his head.
"No, it will just be the two of you."
Pointing to the white markings on the grass, she explained, "You must not use your special techniques or abilities. This marking is the arena boundary. During the combat, I'll throw some objects into the area, and you can use them as you wish."
Koji laughed, disbelieving, and raised his arms in an exaggerated gesture. "You have only one minute. If it's a draw, there will be a punishment for both."
"So why are we wearing these tight suits for a one-minute test?"
Before they could protest or ask more questions, Ava shouted loudly, "BEGIN!"
With an explosion of energy, Saik leaped towards Koji, who barely had time to react. Saik hit Koji's chest with his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.
"Ow!"
Koji let out a surprised grunt, the impact momentarily leaving him breathless. "I didn't know you hated me, Saik!" he exclaimed as he rolled to the side, narrowly escaping a descending kick from Saik.
Quickly, Koji got up and advanced towards Saik, who purposefully backed away. As Koji advanced, Saik was in a combat stance, with his knees slightly bent, allowing a solid base for agile movements.
"Just wait for the right moment," Saik thought.
When Koji threw a direct punch at Saik's chest, he leaned slightly to the left, letting Koji's fist pass inches from his body. "No!" Koji's eyes widened as he missed.
Saik's smooth movement made it seem like he was gliding through the air, as if he had all the time in the world to react. He almost appeared to be dancing, his body flowing naturally from one position to another.
Without wasting time, Koji attempted a low kick to destabilize Saik. However, Saik anticipated Koji's intention and quickly lifted his left foot, twisting his hips to move his body out of the way.
Watching and analyzing from the outside, Ava thought, "It's strange. Saik is an operative without external energy, so his physical movements in hand-to-hand combat should theoretically be inferior to Koji's. But his movement is completely superior to Koji's attempts, and the lack of external energy doesn't seem to have compromised his physical actions."
Koji's kick passed through the air, missing its target. Saik took advantage of the movement to make a small leap backward, creating distance between them.
Without warning them, Ava threw a plastic baton into the area. Koji, with his sharp perception, saw the object fall and caught it skillfully in midair. "Oh, I want to test your dodging skills!" Koji said, smiling with enthusiasm as he attacked with a series of rapid strikes.
Saik dodged effortlessly, as if he could predict every move Koji made. He did a backward somersault, grabbing a plastic chair that Ava had discreetly placed within the field.
He spun it in his arms and used it as an improvised shield to block Koji's attacks.
"This is getting interesting!" exclaimed Saik, his eyes gleaming, as he blocked one strike and quickly counterattacked, pushing Koji back.
Feeling the pressure of being on the defensive now, Koji maintained his composure and thought, "I won't win by brute force, but I can try something using my reflexes."
He slid to the side, circling around Saik's chair, and tried to disarm him with a blow to the arm. Saik dodged again, but Koji was quicker, landing a light hit on Saik's leg with the baton, throwing him off balance.
"Damn!"
Ava threw one last surprise: a military smoke grenade that exploded on the ground, releasing a dense cloud of gray smoke that enveloped both combatants. Their visibility was reduced to almost nothing.
"Where are you, Koji?" Saik shouted, laughing and moving cautiously within the smoke, trying to locate his opponent.
"Here!" Koji's voice came from an undefined point. He suddenly appeared behind Saik, trying to grab the chair from his hands while holding the baton.
Saik turned quickly,
instinctively dodging and blocking with the chair. They were so close that every movement felt like a fast, frantic dance. In a way, they moved desperately, and the smoke intensified with the moment's intensity.
"Ten!" Ava counted down. "Nine!"
With only seconds left, both were at their limits. Koji tried one last quick attack, but Saik managed to dodge at the last moment, stumbling backward with the chair still in hand.
Standing, Koji attempted another strike with his baton against Saik, who was on the ground and holding the chair.
Despite the exhaustion, Saik dodged again, twisting his body to avoid the baton while simultaneously counterattacking with the chair, trapping the baton between the chair's gaps and twisting it, sending the baton flying out of Koji's hands.
"What?" Koji watched as the baton flew towards Ava, who simply stepped aside to avoid it.
At that moment, Ava's whistle blew loudly and clearly, cutting through the tension. Koji and Saik stopped, breathing heavily. The smoke began to dissipate, revealing the two tired but clearly excited competitors.
"Tie!" Ava announced, smiling as she approached. "It looks like you'll both have to face the punishment together."
"And what is the punishment?" Saik asked, curious, as he approached Ava, while Koji sat on the grass, slightly tired.
"You'll spend an hour inside large barrels filled with ice," she replied.
Koji, still seated, let out a resigned sigh. "But we stink, this punishment isn't right now, is it?"
And she explained, "You can have a quick rinse in the Training Center's bathrooms. The barrels are being filled with ice right now in the athletic gym's hallways by the new recruits."
The two showed expressions of discontent but knew they had no choice. Ava took a few steps back, already preparing to leave.
"I need to go deal with something important now, and you understand, right? Go to the bathroom, quickly wash up, and head to the Training Center gym hallway. There are people there who will monitor you to ensure you complete the one-hour punishment. See you tonight, if necessary. Otherwise, tomorrow morning."
With that, Ava walked away, leaving Koji and Saik to deal with the consequences of their tie.
"Damn... I still can't believe she made us wear these tight suits," Koji grumbled as he stood up, brushing the grass off his butt.
"I don't know if I'm mad about it. There might be worse things for us to do later on, who knows..."